In Paris, Neal tries to convince his sceptical father he's back. In an alternate Storybrooke Henry starts to learn how different his life could've been. And in New York, Henry's mothers learn about his disappearance.

Paris – The following morning…

"NEAL?"

Before the lightly bearded man in the navy suit had even reached the table. Before Rumple said a word, his young son was already standing, smiling and striding over to him.

"Hi Gid!" The man pretending to be his previously dead older son dropped to a knee to receive the four-year-old in a brotherly hug, while the concierge behind him looked suitably embarrassed for having accidentally let the man follow him into the dining room. "How's my clever little bro-"

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Rumple yelled out loud, making most diners look up and over. "Stay away from my son! Gideon, come away? He isn't who you think!"

Gideon seemed surprised, and the newcomer frowned. But the boy still obeyed his father, stepping back from him.

"Monsieur?" The taller, burly concierge rested a large hand on his shoulder. "This is a private dining room for residents only, and you're clearly not welcome. Come with me, please?"

But he refused to budge, his eyes instead fixed on Rumple's.

"Ask me a question? Any question? Ask me Papa, just like you did on the plane? Ask me anything that only Baelfire would know the answer to?"

"GET HIM OUT OF HERE?" Rumple was now on his feet.

"Monsieur?" The concierge's hand gripped even tighter. "I must insist!"

But he still ignored him. However, as the hotel employee started pulling more firmly to drag him back, he finally turned to face him. And for a fraction of a second, he noticed the stranger's pupils change from dark brown to brilliant gold in an instant. Freezing him where he stood, like the rest of the room's diners, apart from Rumple and Gideon.

"I KNEW IT!"

Rumple saw the frozen expression on the concierge's face. And as the shorter man stepped out from under his hold, he remained still, with his right clenched hand and arm suspended in mid-air, clutching at nothing.

"Magic, in a land without magic? I knew it had to be you, Merlin!"

Gideon looked around the room. One boy, about his own age, and an older woman carrying a plate, walking away from the food table in the middle, now seemed to be frozen mid-walk? And at least ten frozen diners were staring at them, not moving?

"Stealing a deceased son's image to fool his own father? A boy I loved and saw die before my own eyes? That's low, Sorcerer! I thought you were supposed to be one of the heroes?"

"Papa…" The stranger wearing his son's image finally spoke, his smile returning, but with a sympathetic look, slowly shook his head and even seemed to chuckle? Without being invited, he pulled out a chair from their table, between Gideon and his father's. It was Baelfire's voice and face all right, but that'd be an easy thing for someone like Merlin to fake, wouldn't it? He winked at Gideon again. "I'm really not Merlin. I never was, and you couldn't be more wrong!"

"How do I know you're not lying? You've appeared in my dreams and played with my head! You've left dolls and food trolleys for my son, that remained after I'd woken? You drag people from my past in front of me, and all of this thousands of miles away from the source of my, or anyone's, magic? Only Merlin's got that sort of power. Or the gods. If you're not Merlin, who the hell are you?"

"Are they all frozen?" Gideon interrupted, still looking around the room at all the other diners. "Have you hurt them?"

"No mate, they're all fine, I promise! You could say time's just stopped for them till we've finished?" He sat at the table without being asking, pulling himself in and grabbing a slice of toast from a rack. "But our time hasn't, and it'll stay like this till I take the spell off? Now come on, I'm starving, let's eat?" He reached for the jam.

"So, you can do magic out here, even though Papa can't?"

Rumple frowned at the surprisingly easy manner between them. Gideon already seemed completely comfortable around him.

"In a strange sort of way, yeah." Then he looked up at his father, disbelief all over his face. "I've no idea how long it'll last, though. Do you wanna know something weird? I never had magic before, but one very, very special guy, a god, recently taught me how to do this, just by touching my head and sending things into it so it's buried inside my noddle?" While he was talking, he picked up a knife and smeared a healthy dollop of jam on the toast, taking a large bite, chewing and swallowing quickly, like a starving man having his first meal in years. "Oh my god, that's so good!"

But Rumple remained standing, staring as he now reached for a clean cup and the coffee pot. "Papa, just think about it? If you imagine you're dreaming now, would it matter if you just sat down and listened to me, anyway? It's not like I can harm you in a dream, right? Then, when you wake, you can call Merlin once again and yell at him for fiddling with your mind, can't you? But first, let me ask you something? Do you remember getting out of bed this morning?"

"Whatever I remember means nothing, if you're, as you put it, 'fiddling with my mind'! Tell me how Gideon here saw you dressed as a pilot, while I was asleep, dreaming about you? How you left that doll he's still got it in his bag? And the food trolley in London?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty proud of that! I admit, I was showing off to myself, trying out this weird new magic after they told me to reach out to you, just to see what I could do? Basically, while I was talking to you on the plane in that dream, I also kinda 'took over' the body of someone else. One of the pilots, when he'd left their cabin for the loo. When I'd finished he was back to normal, and everyone else only saw his face until I froze things, but only Gid got to see mine! Clever, huh? That little straw man I left, and the note for you? Again, I used his body to write them." Gideon sat listening closely, and he gave him a sly wink. "Same goes for the food trolley? I took over someone else's mind in the dining room, another guest I think, then ordered the food and pushed the trolley up to your room using him as a proxy. So Gid here's seen me three times already, sort of in the flesh but not really mine, before this? But not in dreams, the way you did. And as for me being Merlin in disguise? I'm really not; in fact, all he's been doing is keeping me up to date with what's been going on with you?"

"And now you're saying I'm not dreaming this time? And you've taken over some other poor bast…man's body again?"

"No, this time, it's really me! They sent me back this morning, or at least one on of Zeus's acolytes did. She landed me in one of those empty rooms upstairs at Merlin's request. I've become…how'd you say? Corporeal?" He stopped, taking a big swig from his cup, loudly savouring it with a large sigh. "Bet you never thought you'd hear me use a word like corporeal, did you?"

"You're seriously telling me you're here? You're…real?"

"In the flesh!" He reached for the pot again. "You can even pinch me if you like? What's more, I'm not going back, either. At least, not unless I do something really stupid and get myself killed, like last time? So no, this really is me! So you'd better keep an eye out for my welfare this time, don't you think?"

"Even if I were to believe you - all this? Just to stop me going back to Storybrooke?"

"To stop you going back to any realm, with any magic in it! When you last spoke to Merlin, whatever you said, must've really have put the shit up him!" He glanced across at his brother. "Sorry for swearing in front of the lad. Me bad, I'll try not to do it again. But basically, he thought after what you said that there was a real possibility you might want to get back to the Dark One's old powers? That in turn, would almost certainly cost thousands of future lives whenever the Dark One leaves you, for centuries to come. So Merlin's managed to persuade Zeus to send me back here, as collateral. Just a little more incentive to help you stay away from all that crap?"

"Collateral?"

"Yeah. I'm told I'm safe, and I can stay and live down here from now on. A second chance? I can stay, live, love, grow old and eventually die, just like I should've the first time around. Just so long as you don't go back anywhere where the Dark One can reconnect? But, as you've often said yourself, magic comes at a price."

Of course. Always a price.

"And what's the price this time? A debt I'll owe Merlin? One he can cash in at any time? Or beholden the gods?"

"Not quite. I'll be the one paying it! Basically, if you deliberately go and get your dark magic back, then I die! They'll take me straight back."

Rumple finally sat, his legs shaky and his jaw hanging, barely able to take it in, as the confident man stood to reach for more toast. Could any of it be true? If it was, it was a brilliant ploy by Merlin!

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Gideon was already smiling, genuinely excited at the prospect of having his big brother around. "Because you said yourself we're not going back to Storybrooke anyway, didn't you Papa? Can Neal come to Rome with us and stay for the rest of the trip?"

But Rumple was speechless, too shocked to answer.

"Give him a chance to adjust to all this, Gid? It's an awful lot for him to take in right now, and he still doesn't believe I'm me yet! Papa, as I said I'm here now, and I'm just gonna hang around until you get back tonight? Although Zeus sent me here, I still need Merlin to organise everything for me? Like cash, so I can get more clothes? A passport? Travel docs, driving licence, maybe a credit card, that kind of stuff? So, when you do call to yell at him, tell him I need to speak to him urgently? Otherwise, I'm kinda stuck!"

"You're being serious?"

"Of course I am! Even if you don't believe me, I'm alive again, in a foreign country, with no money, and no identity! I might have some magic I can use for the moment, but there's no telling how long that's gonna last? Zeus's mind-link lesson definitely didn't cover forgery, so I can't make money! And once I've sorted myself out, I definitely need to figure out a way to speak to Henry!"

"Neal, you could use my laptop to make a Zoom call if you like?" Gideon suggested, proudly. "I've learnt how to do it and already used it to call Henry three times already! We can go and do it now, if you want? He'll think it's fantastic that his dad's alive!"

"While that's a great idea Gid, he's going to be at least six hours behind us, so it's not even three in the morning over there? Plus, if I suddenly appear on screen with you, the poor guy's gonna have a heart attack! So no, I think we should let Merlin, or even papa, call him first to prepare him for it, don't you? What do you think, Papa?"

Rumple didn't know what to think!

New York – the following morning

Mount Sinai Medical Centre,

Regina had been driving alone, for most of the day when she finally arrived in New York late afternoon, checking into a hotel less than a mile from Snow's hospital. She thought it best not to ask where Emma and her family were staying and keep her distance for now.

The following morning, she rose early, and after texting Merlin to make sure he'd be there, she drove straight to the hospital to meet him in the office he'd been given.

"Okay Regina, Penny here's going to take the blood and hair samples, enough to separate your own DNA from the baby's. That should be fine, although as he's probably rinsed it after using it, there may not be enough of Robin's DNA on the toothbrush for us to use? Hopefully we can pull more from those cotton buds you brought along."

"And then? How long will it take after that, till we know?"

"Twenty-four to forty-eight hours. When did you first find out you were pregnant?"

"The Dragon told me here, in his odd little shop in Chinatown, just over two weeks ago. A day later Emma and I flew to Miami, and I went to a clinic. They told me the results at the time showed I was between five and six weeks, based on blood tests? If they're right, then it's definitely Robin's. But if it's less than five…"

"You think it'll be Emma's?"

"I don't think - you told me it was possible! Had anyone else done so, I would've said they were insane"

"Actually, all I told you was about something that happened in another timeline."

"Where that particular Emma and Regina made each other pregnant? Something which, I hasten to add, shouldn't have even been possible for me, with a man or woman, because of a fertility-killing potion I took years ago! And then, when we were with Henry, you told him their babies had magic too? Merlin, when the Dragon told me I was expecting, he also told me he could detect traces of it!"

"Well unfortunately, I can't detect it outside magical lands like the Dragon. But perhaps, if your results are inconclusive, it's time you discussed it with Emma? At the very least you could get a DNA swab from her as well while you're here, to compare?"

"I want to avoid that, at all costs! Not unless I find out it definitely isn't Robin's." Maybe not even then.

"Well in the meantime, let's organise another scan? Our facilities here are a lot more advanced than Storybrooke's. It could well be that we get very different results. I'll do it myself if you're prepared to wait?"

Several floors above…

"Emma told me yesterday that when they put me under, you stayed all night?" Snow clutched his hand tightly. "I don't deserve that. Not after everything; but thank you." She noticed the shrug. "No, I mean it David! Thank you."

"It's the least I could do." He unconsciously massaged the back of her hand "You're still our children's mother, Snow, and that matters to me, whatever happens between us. Plus, I did make a promise to Neal to be here for as long as they'd let me stay."

"I know I keep repeating myself, but I'm still sorry. After what's happened, I'm surprised you can even bear to look at me, let alone-"

"And as I also told you, several times now, I've forgiven you for what happened with Ruby recently. I actually watched you sniff Ingrid's potion on Gold's dream catcher, remember? I know it wasn't reakky you."

"Yes, but I meant for everything I did before we met, that I never told you about? That I kept you in the dark? I-"

"Let's not go there? It's in the past now, and we have to move on. How are you feeling?"

"Still very sore and tired, but better than yesterday. Merlin's daughter told me the signs are encouraging, and it looks like my body's accepted the new liver. So I may not need to be rushed back? Now they're waiting on the kidney results. All being well, I can carry on healing here, then go back to Storybrooke in a week or two. Merlin can then use his magic to heal all the scarring. Apparently, he should be here this morning?"

"That's great. Emma texted me and said she'll be bringing Neal over in an hour. She may even bring Hope with her."

"I'm just pleased they've all taken the time to come all this way! Emma said when I go back with Merlin, I should stay at her place, till I've healed properly? It kind of makes sense, as I'm hardly likely to be able to get up and down those stairs at the loft now, am I? Apparently, they've talked about it, and Killian agrees with her. Ruby's also offered to-" she stopped herself, realising her oldest friend was probably the very last person he wanted to hear about.

"It's okay, Snow. I'm aware Ruby's been slinking around the hospital, trying to avoid me? I've already removed the Lycaon Vow and told her to her face. Even Emma heard me, and I told Granny before I left, so she can go back if she wants? Look, I've no problem her visiting, or even being around you, but I'd rather not to be around when she does?"

"I understand. Though, just so you know, she told me she probably won't be going back to Storybrooke ever again anyway. She said she just can't face it, and that she'll probably settle in Portland, or wherever Belle's planning to be. Belle in turn still needs to know where Gold's going to be settling, to be able to see Gideon regularly. Especially if he isn't going back to Storybrooke either."

He huffed. "What a mess."

"David, can I ask you something? I know I've no right to ask, and I'll understand if you say it's none of my business."

He arched a brow. But nodded.

"When you came to see me in Storybrooke, I asked you if you were in love with Dorothy? But you wouldn't tell me. Emma said she's still staying with you at the farm? Maleficent's daughter's now there too, apparently?"

Would Emma have told her she'd caught him in bed with Ruby's ex? Lily too, if she'd been there a few minutes earlier? It'd been embarrassing certainly, but there was nothing to hide now, was there?

"Dorothy's started divorce proceedings, so she's back to Gale, not Lucas. And no, I'm not in love with either of them. But because we've both been through recent splits we've just become…close? Dot and I were there for each other at a very difficult time, and she moved in the night you left, Lily just over a week ago. They've both been helping me with the lambing. Oddly enough, they've become close themselves, and they're travelling down here next week to clear out Lily's old apartment. Lily's completely different to how you remember her, Snow! Only a few weeks ago, she had terminal lung cancer, and only a few weeks to live. Merlin, and even Gold strangely enough, cured her and Merlin removed Emma's darkness from her while he was at it. Last I heard, she was planning to come and live in Storybrooke permanently, maybe even living with her mother? But it's early days, yet."

"Well I'm glad she's finally getting some happiness after everything we…everything I did, to prevent it. Seems everything's changing there? People leaving? Ruby said she couldn't show her face there, and I must admit, I'm starting to feel the same? I know that dreadful potion made me, but after what I did to you, in our own home; then getting suspended for what happened in the park and Granny's? I'm not sure anyone will ever be able to accept me there again. I certainly can't imagine the Board of Governors letting me anywhere near the school!" She stopped to give a little cough, the sharp pain digging into her sensitive sides. "I've thought about this a lot, so when I'm back on my feet, I've decided to sell the loft and live somewhere else? Like Ruby, I might even leave Storybrooke for good, and live outside? It could be the fresh start we all need."

"Leaving Storybrooke? You're thinking of Portland, or wherever Ruby winds up?" David knew her too well. Snow was never comfortable being on her own for very long. She'd always been a very social creature. "What about Neal?"

"Obviously I wouldn't want to be too far away, so we can co-parent eventually? Like Emma and Regina?"

"Well for now, you could always come back to the farm?"

"I'm sorry?" Had she misheard?

"Come back. Emma's downstairs is bigger than the flat, but not really big enough for another bedroom. Come back and convalesce at the farm? It's much bigger and you can even take over a wing? Then, in the fullness of time, you can make some decisions once you're feeling better. You'll have Neal there after all, and I'm sure he'd much prefer to have his mother close? It makes sense."

"You'd really let me come back? After…everything?"

Meanwhile…

After giving blood for the DNA and paternity tests, Regina was told by the hospital's Radiology Department that she'd have to wait at least an hour before they could fit her in for an Ultrasound, and to come back around noon. So, after finding out where Snow was being treated, she went upstairs to her post-op recovery room, only to be told by a senior nurse that some of the clinical staff were currently in with her, and to wait outside in the little reception area.

As she sat back in one of the horribly hard plastic chairs, nursing an even-more awful cup of something from a machine pretending to be coffee, she tried to fight the creeping fatigue now starting to overwhelm her; a result of the long drive yesterday, a night with very little sleep, and the early start. And as she waited for the medics to finally come out of Snow's room, her mind drifted, yet again, to recent events, and the real reason she'd come all the way down here. To find out who the hell was the 'father' of her child?

Bearing in mind all the crazy things that'd happened in Storybrooke over the last decade since the first curse broke, was it really impossible for Emma, with their shared magic, to make her pregnant?

How could they do it? Surely it defied basic biology? As Regina tried to remember some of the times they'd spent together over the last month, under the effects of that wretched potion, one particular occasion came to mind…

Mifflin Street. Four weeks earlier...

She'd wasted no time in dragging Emma up to her bathroom. After teleporting them from that odd little cottage in the forest, where they'd spent the last hour having sex on those disgusting sheets, she needed a shower. And Emma had all too willingly joined her. Twenty minutes later they had an impromptu meal before, unable to resist her for long, they went to her bedroom for a further hour of passion. To Regina, everything seemed just about perfect, and the mere fact they were both married to other people and blatantly committing adultery, never once crossed her mind.

After experimenting in all the ways they thought two women could enjoy one another physically, she now found herself lying back in the middle of her bed, on her back, with Emma squatting over her.

"Now, try to keep still a minute?" She reached for a pillow, dragging it back before lifting Regina's lower half, to slide it under her backside. "I want to try something."

Lifting her right leg and lowering it over Regina's left, Emma manoeuvred herself to bring their now wet cores together, earning a satisfying moan from her lover as she pressed into her. The positioning was a little awkward and fiddly at first, but oh so worth it when she felt Emma's heat on her. The sheer intimacy of the act, and the delicious feeling, combined with the unreal sight of their most private parts rubbing together, brought on their respective peaks a lot quicker than she'd expected. So much so, that in their heightened state of arousal, Emma had lifted herself even higher onto a knee, now almost directly over her, both now holding the other's leg and grinding in even harder, as their mutual orgasms began to bite in once more.

It was then, in that brief, blissful moment, their vulvae ground tightly together in their odd embrace, that she felt her entire body start to shake as they peaked, almost in unison. At the time, with her eyes tightly closed, and her teeth gritted, savouring the moment, Regina thought she detected an octarine light burst out, flashing over her closed eyelids, followed a hot breeze, like a blast from a hairdryer, passing over her body.

Magic?

It'd been her strongest orgasm with Emma, by a long way.

Could that have been what led to her conceiving? Some sort of...mixing of their fluids? Of their very essences? Could that, combined with their shared magic, have created new life?

~oOo~

"Regina?"

The brunette heard the familiar voice coming from very close, followed by the feeling of someone's hand resting on her shoulder.

"Gina?"

"Mm? Sorry, what?"

Regina opened her eyes to find the very same blonde she'd pictured moments earlier, this time fully clothed, now staring down at her, looking worried. Momentarily disoriented, her mouth dry, she took a few seconds to realise she was still sitting propped up in that awful Reception chair, outside Snow's treatment room, having apparently fallen asleep?

"Emma?"

"Sorry if I woke you, but your breathing sounded really weird? And you were groaning quite loudly, so I just wanted to make sure you were okay?" She also noticed how the brunette looked almost…embarrassed? "We just arrived a couple of minutes ago, and I found you sitting out here. These chairs are stupidly uncomfortable, aren't they? How long have you been waiting?"

"Um…" Recovering her wits, Regina glanced down at her watch, before noticing Emma's younger brother was also standing next to his sister. "Only about half an hour, or so. They asked me to wait out here, as they already had a medical team in with your mother. I didn't really sleep last night so I guess I must've nodded off." It was almost true and she gave out a loud yawn. "Hello, young man?" She stood to pull Neal into a hug. "Have you seen your mother yet?"

"No Aunty Gina, but I saw her the day before yesterday, before she went in for the operation? We've only just got here. Emma asked them if we could go in, but they said the doctors are still in but should be out soon. I'm surprised you came all the way down here to see grandma?"

"She's part of our family too, bro!" Emma answered for her, almost defending her.

"I know that! I just thought…well, what with Robin and Roland, and everything? Are they here too?"

"No unfortunately. I drove down here on my own, but the boys stayed behind, because Roland still has school today."

He nodded. His father had already told the school he wouldn't be attending for a few days due to his mother's major surgery. Then he remembered something else he'd heard. "Is it true you're going to be having a baby?"

"How did you-?"

"Dale's dad said he heard you say it in Robin's pub last week?"

She shouldn't have been surprised that the news had started to leak, and she did rather stupidly tell Robin in a very public area, on the way out, after begging for his forgiveness when she first came back?

"Yes, it's true, I am my love. In fact, as well as coming to see how your mother's doing, I also decided to ask for a pregnancy scan while I'm here, just to check everything's okay?" She looked up at his sister. "I'm booked in to have it around noon."

"Great. As Robin's not here, shall I come in with you, for support?"

Emma was the very last person she wanted in there, for fairly obvious reasons!

"Maybe next time? Merlin said he'll do it himself, and I've still got some other issues I need to talk to him about, which I'd prefer to do it alone? But thanks anyway."

"Well, if you're sure?" Emma couldn't help feeling a little hurt. She and Regina had agreed not to hide things from one another and, even with the tattoo currently blocking her magic, her old superpower could tell she was hiding something. "Still, it's nice of you to take such a long drive to come and see her? I'm sure she'll be pleased."

"How's she doing?" She was grateful for the change of subject.

"Better. Still very weak, but a lot better than two days ago, so we're keeping our fingers crossed. Merlin's planning to take her back to Storybrooke in a week or two after she's healed internally, then he plans to use magic to heal the external scarring. I was going to ask Henry if he could take these things off of us now?" Emma held up her patterned left wrist, identical to Regina's. "And get the old magic back, so I can heal her myself?"

"Has Guyliner agreed? I seem to recall Henry saying he wouldn't take them off without both his and Robin's consent. Plus, Henry did promise the court he wouldn't till after the next hearing?"

"Damn, you're right! I forgot all about that!"

"Yes, I'm finding it frustrating too. How are things between you and the one-handed wonder now?"

She ignored the slight. "Not ideal, but we're getting there. You and Robin?"

"Better..." She noticed the blonde's younger brother was also listening in, and the door to Snow's treatment room open, as three medics started to walk out. "Let's talk later? Speaking of Henry, have you seen or heard anything from him? We haven't spoken since before the hearing. I've texted several times, but never got anything back."

"You too? That's like, two days ago! Yeah, I tried calling him yesterday, again. He told me he'd be leaving the same day as me, after the court. But I still haven't heard a word back either. It's very unlike him..." They shared a worried look. "You don't think something's…happened to him, do you?"

"I didn't, until you said that!"

"Killian told me that while we were in court, he looked over his shoulder and saw he was exchanging messages with Jefferson Hatter? He said he needed to see him urgently? I'll give him a call, see if he knows anything."

Storybrooke - Jefferson's Mansion

"Hello?"

"Jefferson? It's me, Emma? Emma Swan-Jones."

He recognised the voice, although he'd been avoiding her for the best part of a decade, and she him, her distain obvious. "Emma? How are you?"

"I've had better days! Look, I won't beat about the bush. I'm here in New York, with a very sick mother, and I expected to see my son here two days ago? Henry's gone missing."

"Missing? But he was only here-"

"I know," she cut him off. "That's why I'm calling. He was last seen driving over to your place, just after-"

"Your court case? Yes, he told me all about it. He was here for about an hour on Monday, and said he was travelling down to see Snow? That's the last I saw of him."

Although Emma never really trusted him, after that time shortly after she'd arrived when he'd kidnapped her, her old superpower was telling her he was telling the truth. "And that's it? Nowhere else?"

"Not as I recall. Though I think he also said he was going home to pack first? Not sure whether he meant your place, or his other mother's."

"Well neither of us have seen or heard from him since!" Then Emma's remembered Killian's comment about reading over Henry's shoulder in court. About how he'd been…agitated? "What did he come to see you about? And don't tell me it's none of my business, because this is my missing son we're talking about!"

Jefferson's mind went back to Monday, and a horrible thought occurred to him. Henry had wanted to know all about jumping realms, into other timelines. It seemed important to him at the time, And the realm wand? Surely, he wouldn't have been that stupid, would he?

"Erm…"

New York – Half an hour later

After endless questions, Jefferson finally told Emma what Henry had come to see him about two days ago, before his supposed disappearance. But he didn't give her too much detail, only that her son wanted to understand how time travel and parallel universes worked, and how anyone with the right magic could travel between them. Then he'd left after an hour.

She immediately reported back to Regina. The brunette, horrified by the mention of parallel world and time travel yet again, remembered their recent conversations with Merlin. It had made quite an impression on Henry. Although he had no magic to do it anyway, surely Henry would never consider doing anything so reckless?

Emma shook her head. "What I don't get, is why he suddenly wanted to find out about that sort of stuff now? I mean, I get why he spoke to Hatter, as the guy's the only time traveller we know. But why's it even important, given his granny's down here having major surgery? Also, he promised he'd come join us straight after. Maybe he's had an accident?" Seeing the worried look on his older mother, she backtracked. "Unlikely though, as he's a pretty safe driver. But still? I'd better call Hank Morgan. maybe he's heard something? I can at least get him on the lookout. I'll also go check online, and see if there's been any RTAs reported on the run down."

"And I'll speak to Robin. There's at least thirty of his men out there, and he can put the word out from the Sherwood."

"And get him to check back at your place? Jefferson said he mentioned Henry going home to get changed before heading out. He's still got some old clothes at mine too, but nothing important, so I can't see him going back there."

"I'll also ask him to check Gold's old place and the shop. He was staying there recently."

"I still don't get it? This is so unlike him! I mean, yes, he goes off sometimes, but never for two days without telling us? Has this time travelling, realm-jumping thing got anything to do with it? And what the hell's a 'parallel universe'?"

"It's a long story, but I think this may be Merlin's fault, putting unrealistic ideas in his head."

"Merlin? Why? What's he said to him?"

Regina spent the next ten minutes explaining what Merlin had told them about the other realms, and other versions of Storybrooke and all of them. She didn't elaborate too much, and certainly nothing awkward, only that according to the Sorcerer, they contained versions of them all, living parallel lives. She then phoned Robin, asking for his help in tracking down their son's last movements. He promised to put the word out, check at home, and everywhere else.

~oOo~

He rang her back two hours later. Regina was sitting in Snow's recovery room, with Emma, where the patient was now lying, still fast asleep.

"Robin?"

"Hi Gina. What's the latest on Snow?"

"Not sure. She's been asleep most of the time I've been here, after having some dialysis. Still, never mind all that, have you found any trace of Henry yet?"

"No, but half the town's now trying to find him! I went back home and checked his room, and there's the usual pile of clothes on the bed, his shower tray's wet, as are two towels. His laptop bag's not there, so I'm guessing he showered, packed and left? I then broke into his grandfather's old place, then after that, the shop. That's where I'm calling from now. I've found something…odd."

"Like what?" It was Emma's voice, her head close to Regina's, listening in.

"Hello Emma…" Robin rolled his eyes. He might have guessed she'd be listening. "The shop door wasn't locked to begin with! I knew Gold wasn't around, so I checked throughout. That's when I found Henry's phone and car keys on the dining room table."

"His phone? Well, that'd explain why he wasn't answering."

"There's no trace of him here, but his car's parked around the side of the building. I looked inside, and his travel and laptop bags, are still on the back seat. So I'm pretty sure he hasn't left town."

Regina didn't know if that was a good thing, or very bad. "Anything else?"

"Yes. You told me he was with Jefferson Hatter that morning? I've just been over and spoken to him, and apparently, he and Henry discussed some sort of wand for travelling between different realms? He told him his grandfather used to own one, but that he should discuss it with Gold first. He seemed rather…animated about the subject, apparently."

Henry's mothers exchanged an even more worried look. "This wand? If he managed to find it, in Gold's, is there any chance he'd be able to use it?"

Regina shook her head. "I shouldn't think so. I've never used one myself, but I once saw the Imp's wand years ago, and I'm pretty sure only someone with his blood magic could do it."

"Yeah, but Henry's the Author! And Gold's grandson! Bloody enough?"

The brunette's face blanched at the implications. "Robin, could you try and reach Tink? Get her in there? If anyone's used magic in there over the last few days, she may still be able to detect at least a trace of dark magic, if it isn't too late."

But before he could answer, Emma interrupted.

"So, what are you saying? That he could've jumped into another realm?"

"I've no idea. But if he has, it'll be almost impossible to find out which one!"

Two days ago.

The 'other' Storybrooke…

Two days ago, and within hours of meeting the 'other' versions of his grandparents, their own Henry Mills had walked into the shop, called in by Belle, as stunned as him to be meeting his doppelganger. Fortunately, this Rumpelstiltskin now understood the situation perfectly, and explained everything to his own grandson, with an odd grin on his face.

"So you're really…me?" Henry nodded back. "This is so bloody weird!"

"Tell me about it!" He finally managed a chuckle. "I once read somewhere that if this sort of thing was to happen, we'd kinda…cancel each other out? Annihilate each other? Like matter, and anti-matter?"

"Just as well we disproved that theory!" The other Henry laughed too. "So how does this work? Apart from the bad haircut," he smirked at Henry, "and your terrible taste in clothes, we look pretty similar in age? How old are you? When's your date of-"

"August 15th, 2001. Born in a prison in Phoenix? Emma, my mum, was only eighteen at the time."

"Same here! And Regina Mills, the former Evil Queen, adopted you?"

"Yup. Ten years later, I brought Emma back, and she went on to break the first curse, and I almost died." The other Henry nodded, his grin becoming even wider as their stories aligned.

"So what about you? University? I'm supposed to be starting at Harvard at the end of the summer. That is, if I can get back after this? You?"

"Princeton. I start my second year same time. Biomedical."

"History & Literature for me. So, I guess it looks like we started off the same, and somewhere along the line, we kinda…split?"

"Only a major magical event could have caused that!" Rumple interrupted, having been listening, watching them closely. "Your paths would've diverged from that point. Fascinating."

After a few more questions from both Henry's covering the major events, they quickly uncovered the divergence point. When Greg and Tamara had set off the trigger stone in the mine.

"Yeah, I remember that! When it exploded, Emma was knocked out and Regina almost died! She was in a coma for nearly two weeks and they didn't hold out much hope. Even though it wasn't a sleeping curse, mum wound up kissing her and she woke up. They started dating just after that."

"Really? So this is the timeline where our mums go on to get married and have kids together?"

"That's it, Why, what happened in yours?"

"Lots of things, but not that! They went on to be with other people, but I think they're both happy, despite some recent events. Regina's married to Robin Hood, or Robin Locksley as we know him, and Emma's married to Killian Jones. You know, Captain Hook?"

"Really? I remember Hook all too well, cocky bugger! Never met Robin Hood, though. Sounds kinda cool."

"He's a good bloke. He has a son already, and Regina's now pregnant. Emma had a daughter. Hope."

"Sounds like we've got loads to talk about? When are you going back?"

"As soon as that stupid wand recharges itself?" He looked to his grandfather, who was holding said wand in his hands. "At least three days?"

"Minimum." Rumple stroked it gently, putting it back down on the table. "You'll just have to wait till it does, so I'm afraid you're rather stuck with us for the moment. Henry?" Both young men turned to look at him. "The 'other' Henry, not mine," he smiled back. "Can you remember what you were thinking of, when you held it and arrived here? Your mothers being together, perhaps?"

"No. I was thinking about was my dad, Neal? I only knew him for a few weeks, on and off, and he died to save the town from Zelena, the Wicked Witch? It's a long story. But I still miss him to this day."

"Would you like to meet him? My dad, obviously?"

"You what? He's here? But I thought that in this timeline...?" He stopped. Clearly the different versions were getting confused.

"Yes, but only for another few days. He's up on business and he usually stays at grandpa's place, while he's here? He's doing some work with Geppetto, but usually lives in Boston with his wife and their other kids. I've got another brother and sister down there. Plus my mums' two, of course."

"This is so unreal!"

"Tell me about it! So, shall I call dad and get him over? And my mums?"

Back in the other realm, New York, two days later...

Regina appeared outside the door of the scanning room just before noon, Emma behind her. Merlin arrived shortly after, surprised to find the blonde with her, considering what she'd said earlier.

"Regina, bang on time, I see?" He smiled at the brunette. "If you'd like to go inside, I'll be with you in a-"

"That can wait! We have much bigger issues right now!" Emma cut across her. "We've lost Henry!"

They went on to tell him what had happened and everything they knew so far, including Jefferson and Robin's feedback.

"Well if he has slipped into another realm, parallel or otherwise, it'll be a nightmare trying to find him. Do you know what he used to travel?"

"We're working on it. We've asked Robin to fetch Tinker Bell, to see if she can trace his signature in Gold's shop and his house. She might-"

"Get Blue to do it instead! Her magic's much more powerful than Tinker Bell's, and she can probably use a dream catcher to find out what happened there? Ladies, I'd be happy to help you, but I'm afraid I still have surgeries to attend to. But still, I've got twenty minutes reserved for you now Regina, so let's get on with this scan shall we? We're all ready to go and I-" But he was interrupted by a tall nurse bearing a thick envelope, holding it out to him. "Penny?"

"The results from the tests you requested earlier, Professor? It would appears the lab's found some spare time to get it done quickly?"

"Ah. that's excellent!" He took the envelope from her, sliding it into a large folder he was carrying. "Thanks, Penny. Now, Regina, would come through?"

Regina stared at the folder, momentarily forgetting that Emma was just behind her. "Are those my DNA tests you're holding?"

"Why yes. Emma, would you kindly wait outside?"

~oOo~